Stalagmites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, soda straws, popcorn, and helictites!
Today we had a magical time visiting Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad New Mexico…
Under New Mexico’s vast blue skies, deep below the surface of the Chihuahuan Desert and Guadalupe Mountains, lies the underground marvels of Carlsbad Caverns National Park — a labyrinth of underground chambers millions of years in the making. Visitors can either take an elevator down to the Big Room or embark upon the Natural Entrance Trail, a 1.25-mile (2 km) descent (we walked down and rode the elevator back up). The descent using the Natural Entrance Trail is steep, equivalent to about 79 stories, and takes about an hour to hike. The Cavern is 56°F (13°C) year round and humid, we wore shorts and t-shirts as it was 91 °F above ground and we were not cold, in fact we worked up a good sweat!
Oh, also the cavern is home to 17 species of bat and there’s a Bat Flight Program, which allows visitors to experience the thousands of bats flying out of the cavern and into the night sky – late May through October and no reservations are required. However I’d suggest checking online for exact dates/times the program is running.
If you want to plan a visit, you can get all the info you need here.
